I know that the legume family takes nitrogen from the atmosphere and helps fix it in the soil.
I am just about to clear my bean bed, should I pull the whole bean out roots and all, cut the stalks off and leave the roots, or dig in the whole plant? I really would like to put in my winter cabbages and like in this bed. Any advice on the this would be greatly appreciated.
what i do is pull the roots up and cut all the nodules off with a pair of scissors, and turn them in the soil
Where possible I leave the roots in, some come up when I pull at the tops!
::)
I leave my roots in too if poss, ;)
Thankyou all for your replies, that's what I'll do then.
Just come back from the lottie, seems odd clearing up and getting ready for winter crops when it is so hot.
i also just cut the plants at the base and leave the roots in situ.
on another note the bed where i planted my runnerbeans last year was cleared very late autumn leaving the roots in situ. this year spring i added homemade compost and lightly dug over the beds (which are raised) my over wintering brassicus were planted in the beds late July, now a week or so ago while weeding i noticed what appeared to be a runnerbean shoot, i wasn't sure so i left it to grow a little bigger. and low and behold it is a runnerbean regrowing right in line with where they were last year. so i was wondering if anyone else has experienced this, that is their runnerbeans overwintering to produce new shoots.
I'm thinking of trying to overwinter my runnerbeans this year i probably will simply cut them down and see what happens. i will still sow a fresh batch anyway.
yes i've had that. Mr flowerdew recommends storing a few roots overwinter like dahlias for an early start, but Ihaven't tried it. i dug up my sprouting roots
Quote from: Rhubarb Thrasher on September 20, 2008, 19:58:34
yes i've had that. Mr flowerdew recommends storing a few roots overwinter like dahlias for an early start, but Ihaven't tried it. i dug up my sprouting roots
oh cool i wont dig up and store i'll just leave where they are and see what happens. :)
actually it was on the plot next to mine. i was clearing it as a favour. it was overgrown, and must have had lots of protection. I'd left mine in too and they were all dead, obviously because my plot was completely weed free ;D There had been several very frosty nights that winter though
Does this apply to sweet peas and lupins on the plot too, does anyone know? I have it in my mind that it does for some reason ???
I have saved seed from both anyway.
I think Sweet Peas are tender and will be seen off with the frosts, but Lupins are perennial ;)
I am still getting beans off mine and always seem to into November.
But I always pick them all, as soon as they are 'right for cooking'. They seem to die back as soon as they get beans big enough to be planted on them.
When they do stop producing. I pull out the canes cover the lot with black plastic and when spring comes take out straggly bits and compost them, then dig over the ground.